Simulation of gravitational scatterings in N -body Kepler systems

This research investigates the impact of gravitational scatterings caused by close encounters between particles in an <i>N</i>-body Kepler system, addressing three main questions: (1) the influence of scatterings on system evolution, (2) the correspondence between simulated and expected average times between scatterings, and (3) the effect of...

Collision detection for N-body Kepler systems

Context. In a Keplerian system, a large number of bodies orbit a central mass. Accretion disks, protoplanetary disks, asteroid belts, and planetary rings are examples. Simulations of these systems require algorithms that are computationally efficient. The inclusion of collisions in the simulations is challenging but important. Aims. We intend...

Stability of four-body kite central configurations

Central configurations provide the only closed-form analytical solutions of the n-body problem. All possible central configurations of three bodies have been extensively studied along with the stability of the associated periodic orbits. Stable cases have been found for the Lagrangian triangle configuration, which we see occurring with the...

Efficiency of an analytical propagator with collision detection for Keplerian systems

The aim of this thesis was to test the efficiency in practice of an analytical propagator with collision detection for <i>N</i>-body Keplerian systems. This can be used to simulate the evolution of a protoplanetary disk, which gives insight into how planetary systems form. The analytic propagator calculates collisions one by one, while a...

Propagation and estimation of the dynamical behaviour of gravitationally interacting rigid bodies

Next-generation planetary tracking methods, such as interplanetary laser ranging (ILR) and same-beam interferometry (SBI) promise an orders-of-magnitude increase in the accuracy of measurements of solar system dynamics. This requires a reconsideration of modelling strategies for the translational and rotational dynamics of natural bodies, to...